Construction of containers, crates, and the like



E. BLANCO 3,357,584

CONSTRUCTION OF CONTAINERS, CRATES, AND THE LIKE Dec. 12, 1967- 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 1, 1965 INVENTOR.

BY W a E. BLANCO Dec. 12, 1967 CONSTRUCTION OF CONTAINERS, CRATES, AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 1, 1965 INVENTOR.

E. BLANCO Dec. 12, 1967 CONSTRUCTION OF CONTAINERS, CRATES, AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 1, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent ()filice 3,357,584 Patented Dec. 12, 1967 3,357,584 CONSTRUCTION OF CONTAINERS, CRATES, AND THE LIKE Elias Blanca, 8262 Fountain Ave., Los Augeles, Calif. 90046 Filed Sept. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 484,205 6 Claims. (Cl. 217-16) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A collapsible container, generally of wood, having side and end walls pivotally connected so that the walls may be folded fiat for storage and transporting. A flat bottom rests on runners attached to the walls, a flat top rests on other runners attached to the walls, and flexible locking members engage runners to hold the top in place.

This invention relates to containers and particularly to crate-type containers which may be partially dismantled and then folded into a smaller space for shipment or storage. A knock-down type of container is disclosed and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 413,030, filed Nov. 23, 1964, and now U.S. Patent No. 3,273,738 issued Sept. 20, 1966, the present container being of the crate-type which may be partially folded. Furthermore, the forms of the portions making up the crate are adapted to be easily formed in a milling operation. For its Weight, the cratestructure has a high strength-to-weight ratio and may be readil assembled and locked in closed position without screws, glue, nails, or other types of fastening means.

The principal object of the invention, therefore, is to facilitate the construction of a foldable container, crate, or lug.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved type of container or crate which may be folded into a compact size and readily unfolded for re-use.

A still further object of the invention is to provide panels which may be held in position without screws, nails, or clips, but may, for additional strength, use the invention disclosed and claimed in my copending application, Ser. No. 473,723, filed July 21, 1965, now US. Patent N0. 3,324,908.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a container or crate which may be economically manufactured.

A better understanding of this invention may be had from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container or crate embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the container or crate shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the container or crate of FIGS. 1 and 2 in folded position;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a detail crosssectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a detail view showing the position of the panels and runners shown in FIG. 6 in folded position;

FIG. 8 is a detail view showing a modification of the slots or mortises in the runners of the containers; and

FIG. 9 is a detail view showing a blind pivot for a container or crate embodying the invention.

Referring, now, to the drawings in which the same reference numerals indicate the same elements, the container or crate shown has two side panels 5 and 6, and two end panels 7 and 8. Although the panels 5, 6, 7, and 8 are referred to as side and end panels, it is to be understood that these panels may be of various sizes for different proportioned containers or crates.

The panel 5 has a lower runner 10 and an upper runner 11, while side panel 6 has an upper runner 12 and a lower runner 13. The end panel 7 has a lower runner 16 and an upper runner 17, while end panel 8 has a lower runner 18 and an upper runner 19. Each of the runners 1t), 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, and 19 has a rectangular groove or mortise therein. Runners 17 and 19 have longitudinal portions thereof extending from panels 7 and 8 for ease in handling.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, each runner has a rectangular slot or mortise therein as shown at 21, 22, 23, and 24, into which the edges of the respective panels are accommodated. For instance, panel 5 is positioned in the slots or mortises 21 and 23 of runners 10 and 11, while the other panels are positioned in their respective mortises. It willbe noted that the mortises have substantially the same longitudinal lengths as the lengths of the respective mortises to provide diagonal strength to the panel structure.

Panel 6 is assembled to runners 12 and 13 in the same manner, panel 8 is assembled to the runners 18 and 19 in the same manner, and panel 7 is assembled to runners 16 and 17 in the same manner. The panels are normally held in assembled position by pivot rods to be described hereinafter. The grain 26 of the panels runs between their respective runners to provide structural strength to the crate.

As shown in FIG. 2, the crate has a bottom panel 28 having runners 29 and 30 which are provided with grooves 31 and 32. The panel 28 is held in the grooves 31 and 32 in any suitable manner but preferably in the manner disclosed and claimed in my copending application mentioned above. This panel 28 forms the bottom of the container or crate, and the runners 29 and 30 rest on the inner longitudinal surfaces of the runners 10 and 13. A top panel 34 with its runners 35 and 36 is similar to bottom panel 28 except that the runners 35 and 36 run at right angles to the runners 29 and 30. The runners 35 and 36 are supported by the upper longitudinal surfaces of runners 17 and 19.

The top panel is held in position and closes the crate by a pair of slats 39 and 40, which may be of thin wood or similar material, the ends of which are accommodated in four mortises, two of which are shown at 41 and 42. The slats are flexible and, therefore, easily bowed, as shown at 44, the resiliency of the slats forcing the ends thereof into their respective mortises. This completes the assembly of the crate. Since the slats have their edges adjacent to but not in contact with the runners 35 and 36, the top panel has a certain freedom of movement for ease in assembly.

Referring, now, to the folding action of the container, a rod 46 has its ends positioned in counter bores and 51, rod 46 being shown as passing through runner 11, runner 19, runner 18, and runner 10. Similar rods, such as shown at 47, connect the other pair of ends of runners 10 and 11 to a pair of ends of runners 16 and 17, while a rod 48 connects the other pair of ends of runners 16 and 17 to one pair of ends of runners 12 and 13, and another rod 49 connects the other pair of ends of runners 12 and 13 to the other pair of ends of runners 18 and 19. Thus, without the bottom panel 28 and the top panel 34 in assembled position, the four panels may be folded as shown in PEG. 3. The position of panels 5 and 8 is shown in FIG. 7 when rotated to the position shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 shows a modification of the mortises and is a corner construction having a groove 53 running to the ends of a runner 54, while a runner 55, rod 56, and panel 57 are associated therewith as in the crate above described. All of the runners have the same grooves therein. In this construction, the panels may be fixedly attached in the grooves in any suitable manner, a preferred manner being disclosed and claimed in my abovementioned pending application. This modification of the construction permits the runners to be economically formed on a sticker, planer or similar machine, the runners being continuously moved therethrough.

The modification shown in FIG. 9 utilizes a blind pivot formed by a hinge or dowel 60 shown within runners 61, 62, and 63. A similar dowel is positioned at each of the eight corners of the crate. In this modification, the panels are fastened in the grooves or mortises in any suitable manner, one preferred form being disclosed and claimed in my above-mentioned copending application.

The above construction of a container or crate has many advantages over prior constructions such as the simplicity of forming or milling the panels and runners, the economy of manufacture, the ease of assembly and disassembly, and the ease of handling the crate.

I claim:

1. A collapsible container which includes a pair of side panels;

top and bottom side runners each having a groove therein receiving an edge of one of said side panels whereby each of said side panels is separately mounted between its own top and bottom runner;

a pair of end panels;

top and bottom end runners each having a groove therein receiving an edge of one of said end panels whereby each of said end panels is separately mounted between its own top and bottom runner;

pivot means connecting the ends of said top and bottom side runners to the ends of said top and bottom end runners to form a collapsible parallelepiped;

a removable bottom panel shaped to be supported by at least a pair of said bottom runners;

a removable top panel shaped to be supported by a first pair of said top runners; and

a pair of locking members extending across said removable top panel to retain said top panel in place, the ends of said locking members fitting into slots in a second pair of said top runners and said locking members being bendable to permit the selective insertion and removal of their ends into said slots, whereby said top panel may be locked to said container or removed therefrom.

2. A container as defined in claim 1 in which said bottom panel has a pair of runners along opposite edges adapted to rest upon and be supported by a pair of said bottom runners.

3. A container as defined in claim 1 in which said top panel has a pair of runners along opposite edges adapted to rest upon said first pair of said top runners.

4. A container as defined in claim 1 in which said bottim panel has a pair of runners along opposite edges adapted to rest upon and be supported by said bottom runners, and said top panel has a pair of runners along opposite edges adapted to rest upon said first pair of said top runners.

5. A container as defined in claim 3 in which said runners of said top panel are adjacent and parallel to said locking members, thereby preventing horizontal movement of said top panel in one direction, and said second pair of runners prevents horizontal movement in a perpendicular direction.

6. A container as defined in claim 4 in which said runners of said top panel are adjacent and parallel to said locking members, thereby preventing horizontal movement of said top panel in one direction, and said second pair of runners prevents horizontal movement in a perpendicular direction.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 823,515 6/1906 Dolph 217-48 944,837 12/1909 Bedell 217-16 972,925 10/1910 Rockwell 217-48 1,137,407 4/1915 Lane et a1. 217-56 1,681,996 8/1928 Morrogh 217-48 2,026,968 1/1936 Ewell 217-48 2,408,731 10/1946 Burger 217-56 2,702,141 2/1955 McCuaig 217-48 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

RAPHAEL H. SCHWARTZ, Examiner. 

1. A COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER WHICH INCLUDES A PAIR OF SIDE PANELS; TOP AND BOTTOM SIDE RUNNERS EACH HAVING A GROOVE THEREIN RECEIVING AN EDGE OF ONE OF SAID SIDE PANELS WHEREBY EACH OF SAID SIDE PANELS IS SEPARATELY MOUNTED BETWEEN ITS OWN TOP AND BOTTOM RUNNER; A PAIR OF END PANELS; TOP AND BOTTOM END RUNNERS EACH HAVING A GROOVE THEREIN RECEIVING AN EDGE OF ONE OF SAID END PANELS WHEREBY EACH OF SAID END PANELS IS SEPARATELY MOUNTED BETWEEN ITS OWN TOP AND BOTTOM RUNNER; PIVOT MEANS CONNECTING THE ENDS OF SAID TOP BOTTOM SIDE RUNNERS TO THE ENDS OF SAID TOP AND BOTTOM END RUNNERS TO FORM A COLLAPSIBLE PARALLELEPIPED; A REMOVABLE BOTTOM PANEL SHAPED TO BE SUPPORTED BY AT LEAST A PAIR OF SAID BOTTOM RUNNERS; A REMOVABLE TOP PANEL SHAPED TO BE SUPPORTED BY A FIRST PAIR OF SAID TOP RUNNERS; AND A PAIR OF LOCKING MEMBERS EXTENDING ACROSS SAID REMOVABLE TOP PANEL TO RETAIN SAID TOP PANEL IN PLACE, THE ENDS OF SAID LOCKING MEMBERS FITTING INTO SLOTS IN A SECOND PAIR OF SAID TOP RUNNERS AND SAID LOCKING MEMBERS BEING BENDABLE TO PERMIT THE SELECTIVE INSERTION AND REMOVAL OF THEIR ENDS INTO SAID SLOTS, WHEREBY SAID TOP PANEL MAY BE LOCKED TO SAID CONTAINER OR REMOVED THEREFROM. 